


Hot Showers and Force Shields

by Tarlan



Series: Hold Your Breath [7]
Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst, Community: fanfic100, Episode Related, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-11-06
Updated: 2008-11-06
Packaged: 2017-10-20 22:28:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/217760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack had wanted to be with Rodney on Atlantis, not here alone in the rain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hot Showers and Force Shields

**Author's Note:**

> For **darklock** who needed some Jack/Rodney!  
>  Also _fanfic100_ Prompt 066. Rain. Missing scene from _The Return Part 1_

Rain battering against the windows always made him feel melancholy, and it was no different here in Atlantis despite the beauty of the city surrounding him. As he gazed through the ornate window, he could barely distinguish between the gray skies and the sea, all color lost beneath the heavy, rain-filled clouds that blotted out the sun.

Behind him, Woolsey was his usual annoying though diplomatic self, trying to reason with Helia, the captain of the Ancient warship _Tria_ , who was still unconvinced that any humans should remain in Atlantis. Perhaps Daniel might have had better luck because he'd had more dealings with the Ancients though, admittedly, most of those Ancients had been ascended beings.

Despite this, Jack couldn't understand why Helia would be so willing to close down ties between them, and could only liken it to a dog crawling away to lick its battle wounds. For her crew, twelve years had passed but she had to have known that it was ten thousand years in real time. She must have been prepared for this eventuality when no one came to rescue them from the void between galaxies - until the Daedalus hailed them; aware that her own people had abandoned them to pursue Ascension.

Admittedly, that must have hurt to be forgotten but he would have thought that these lost Ancients might have wanted some fresh company after twelve of their years alone. Except Jack recognized the condescending tones in those few who chose to speak with him. He missed Daniel's dry comments that would have taken some of the sting out of being treated like a lower life form by some of the _Tria_ 's crew. They saw him as beneath them, as if he had only just climbed out of the primordial soup to slither upon the land on his belly. He disliked their air of superiority and their marked lack of compassion for the native people they had displaced so readily without taking into account the ten thousand years of war that had raged in this galaxy due to _their_ arrogance and incompetence. He hated the way they had treated the Earth descendants of their own people as unworthy, and the way they had forced them to leave all they had sweated and fought for behind. Mostly though, he had hated how some had sneered at McKay as he tried to impart a few last pieces of information about the damaged city before they ushered him through the Stargate with no ceremony and even less regard. Perhaps they were capable of repairing the damage without McKay's assistance but it damn well wouldn't have hurt to say _thank you_ for keeping their damn city afloat and in one piece--more or less.

He winced because that was a sore spot even after three weeks in Atlantis.

Until recently, Jack had kind of looked forward to having the chance to visit the Lost City but he'd not expected to do so under such circumstances. He'd imagined swaggering through the Stargate with his vacation clothes packed in his bag, and asking where he'd find the best fishing. He'd pictured the way McKay would roll his eyes and barely avoid some derogatory comment made in public as they tried not to show how much they had missed each other. Then later, when most of the expedition had retired for the night, he imagined how they would have found a way to meet in private, eager to rekindle the passion that flamed between them with biting kisses and hard caresses.

Damn but he had missed Rodney since his return to Atlantis on the Daedalus. Those too few days in Washington had not been enough to make up for the months of separation when no one knew if the Atlantis expedition--if Rodney--was alive or dead. Having his lover back in his arms again, back in his bed, had been incredible. Feeling Rodney writhing beneath him, body sleeker than before with muscles toned from running for his life, had been amazing. Jack closed his eyes to shut out the gray sky as he recalled the glide of his hands over sweat-glistened skin, hearing the soft whimpers of pleasure and need as Rodney thrust up against him, desperate for his own release as Jack pushed deeper inside him with each stroke, taking both of them higher and higher.

He'd wanted to feel that same pleasure here, with Atlantis whispering its welcome in his mind, but Helia had given Rodney barely enough time to pack up his belongings and equipment, and no privacy for them to share more than a fleeting passionate moment together. All he'd gained was one desperate kiss in passing, barely enough to sustain either of them for the empty weeks that still lay ahead.

The wind blew stronger, driving the rain harder against the window and Jack could no longer bear the separation between the storm outside and the one raging within as he thought of his lover who was still a galaxy away. The door opened before he could raise a hand to the control panel but he neither noticed nor cared, stepping out quickly. Needles of cold rain pricked against his skin, drenching him in seconds as he raised his face to the elements, eyes closed tight as he pictured Rodney with skin glowing pink from a shared hot shower. Outside, he shivered from the cold but inside he warmed to the memory until a flash of light signaled the force shield rising up around the city.

He opened his eyes, seeing nothing but a dull gray reflecting back from beyond the shield. The rain and thunder had ceased abruptly and unnatural silence had descended as if the elements were holding their breath. All Jack could do was stand and watch as the last droplets trickled down the supporting struts onto a rapidly drying balcony floor.

He sensed movement behind him but refrained from acknowledging the presence as Helia stepped up beside him.

"The shield is now working at optimum capacity," she stated needlessly and he could sense the confusion in her voice. "You are...wet."

He couldn't help raising his own eyebrows and turning to her in surprise because he'd not noticed Helia stating the obvious before, and it made her far more human in his eyes especially when she flushed slightly in embarrassment. She glanced back towards the open door, a small frown creasing her forehead.

"Atlantis does not consider you a stranger." She looked back at Jack with a wry smile. "The city opened the door on your mental command." Her eyes narrowed. "Perhaps we should not treat your people as strangers either."

Jack nodded. It wasn't much of a concession but maybe it was a start that would eventually allow Rodney and others to come back home to the city they loved, and if Woolsey's current diplomatic skills were sufficient to the task, then Jack hoped he would be the one waiting here to welcome his lover home.

THE END


End file.
